Climbing and braking device for skis



July 22, 1958 E. TRlBELHoRN n CLIMBING AND BRAKING DEVICE FOR SKIS Filed May 2, 195e 'f '.5 R I Fig.4

United States Patent O 2,844,380 CLIMBING AND BRAKING DEVICE EQR SKIS Emile Tribelhorn, Vevey, Switzerland l Application May 2, 19,56, Serial No. 582,125 claims priority, application swiizerlandMay 9., 195sv i 4 Claims. (Cl. 280511.13);

The present invention relates to skis and more particularly to climbing and braking devices for facilitating the climbing of snow or ice covered hillsv and permitting braking on steep slopes. A Y

Climbing devices for skis are generally known and include those devices having a plurality of slats tiltable with respect to the gliding surface of a ski for preventing sliding of the latter in a rearward direction by engagement of the slats in the snow.

Most of these devices, however, are deficient in that they are relatively voluminous and heavy so that they substantially increase the weights of the skis. Moreover, their fastening to a ski causes a weakening of the latter at a section which is most likely to bev strained. Furthermore, known devices have the great disadvantage that, in use, entering snow disturbs the mechanism rendering impossible its operation. At very cold temperatures, known devices furthermore do not operate at'all due to complete freezing of the mechanism.

It is an object of the invention to provide a climbing backs.

For this purpose, the invention provides in an; elongated, completely closed box, two rails one of which is displaceable in longtiudinal direction and the other in vertical direction, said rails having protuberances and recesses. The protuberances of one rail engage, one position of the device, the recesses of the other rail, and the vertically movable rail cooperates with a plurality of bolts displaceable between two end positions. The bolts extend through openings in one wall of the box and in one of their end positions, are substantially Hush with the outer surface of the wall, while in their other end position they project beyond said outer surface. Operating means are provided for displacing the first mentioned rail and thereby effecting a vertical displacement of the second mentioned rail moving the bolts from one end position into the other.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, and in which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through a climbing and a braking device in rest position,

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through a ski provided with the climbing and braking device of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a partial section through the climbing and braking device illustrated in Fig. l but with the parts in the climb and brake position, and

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a ski provided with the climbing and braking device.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a ski having in the vicinity of the binding member, two elongated climbing and braking elements A and B inserted into the longitudinal side of the ski. These elements are each formed by a box 1 and a cover 2, both boxes being secured to the ski by means of wood screws 3 Mice while the covers are connected with the boxes by screws 4. Each of the two boxes contains a guiding rail 5, cam rail 6 displaceable in longitudinal direction and a holding rail 7. The latter is prevented from being displaced in longitudinal direction by a pair of abutments 8 secured to the cover 2, but is permitted to elect vertical movements with respect to the box 1'. The holding rail 7 and the cam rail 6 arranged above the latter are both provided with a plurality of cams 9 equally spaced over the length of the sides of said rails facing each other. Each of the cams has a horizontal supporting surface 9a and an inclined mounting surface 9b. On its lower side, the holding rail 7 has a plurality of recesses 10 housing pressure springs 11 bearing againstV the inner side of the cover 2. The pressure springs 11 bias the holding rail 7 upwardly thereby constantly maintaining the cams of the latter in engagementwith the cams of the rail 6 which in turn are pressed against theY guiding rail 5 by the action of springs. In the position of the elements illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the mounting surfaces of the cams of the rails 6 and 7 lie against each other, i. e. the cams of the holding rail 7 are located in the recesses between the cams of the rail 6. The latter is connected at its one end with a tension spring 12Y suspended from a bolt 13, this spring 12 tending to. maintain the rail 6 in the position of the latter shown in Fig. l. At its other end, the rail 6 is connected by means of a cable 14 with a tensioning device 15 (Fig. 4) secured to the upper side of the ski. This tensioningy device 15 may be of known type such as, for example, the toggle lever type which is widely used for ski-bindings and which permits operation by the user from above. The lower side of the holding rail 7 is provided with several taps 1,6 having a thread 17 by means lof which they are screwed into the holding rail. The taps 16 have a square section and extend through square openings 18 of the cover 2. The front surfaces of the taps lie flush with the outer side of the cover 2.

While Figs. l and 2 illustrate theclimbing and braking device of the invention in its inoperative position in which the ski is ready for a descent, Fig. 3 illustrates the same device in its operative position for climbing or braking. For this purpose the rail 6 has been displaced in longitudinal direction by the tensioning device 1S and the cable 14 to the right against the action of Spring l2. Thereby the mounting surfaces 9b of corresponding cams 9 of the rails 6 and 7 have slid upon and separated from each other resulting in a downward movement of the rail 7 against the action of the pressure springs 11, so that the taps 16 advance from their retracted position shown in Fig. l, in which they are flush with the lower side of tie cover, to a position in which they project beyond the latter. As visible in Fig. 3, in the climbing and braking position, the supporting surfaces 9a of the rails 6 and 7 lie against each other so that the holding rail cannot be displaced upwardly. If the tensioning device 15 is released, the rail 6 returns into its position shown in Fig. l under vthe action of spring 12, the rail 7 is also moved back to its initial position by the springs 11 and the whole climbing and braking device returns into its rest position represented in Figs. 1 and 2.

The upper side of the box 1 is provided over its whole length with a plurality of spaced screw bolts 19 screwed into the wall and engaging the guiding rail 5. Each of these screw bolts has a fastening nut 2G. By means of these screw bolts 19, the guiding rail 5 may be displaced vertically so that the taps 16 may be adjusted to project, in the climbing and braking position of the device shown in Fig. 3, variably beyond the lower side of the ski. Besides the adjusting of the engaging depth of the taps 16 into the snow, this arrangement affords the possibility of readjustment upon wear of the taps. Upon removing the cover 2, these taps 16 may also easily be exchanged.

Instead of being square, the taps may also have any .other suitable shape such as for example triangular, 'cir- `cular or otherwise, whereby the opening 18in the cover 2 must be Ymade accordingly inV order to prevent entering of snow into the box. Y

While in the described embodiment the climbing and braking device is mounted in the ski, it could of course also be removably fastened to the latter by means of appropriate fastening means so as to make possible removal of the device previous to a descent. Y y

Owing to the'small width of the device with respect to the width of the ski, the mounting of the latter does not noticeably weaken the strength of the latter.

Preferably the box is lled with a deep-temperature lubricating grease preventing the deposit or freezing of snow on the movable parts of the device.

I claim:

1. For use with a ski, aV climbing and braking device movable between two end positions, said device comprising an elongated, closed box adapted to be mounted on the edge of the ski, two rails arranged in said box, one of said rails being movable in longitudinal direction of the ski and the other of these rails being movable vertically thereto, both of said rails having a plurality of protuberances and recesses, the protuberances of one rail being adapted to engage, in one end position of the device, the recesses of the other of said rails, said vertically movable rail cooperating with a plurality of taps parallely movable between two end positions in accordance with the position of the device, said box having openings in one wall ttingly receiving said taps, the latter being, in one end position of the device, substan- -tially ush with the outer surface of said wall and projecting, in the other end position of the device, beyond .said`wall, manual operating means being provided for displacing the first mentioned rail horizontally, t-he said protuberances Vand recesses on said rails cooperating to cause a horizontal movement of said first rail to impart a vertical displacement of said second vertically movable rail for moving said taps from one end position into the other.

2. For use with a ski, a climbing and braking device comprising an elongated box adapted to be mounted on said box, gripping means on said lower rail, said gripping means ttingly extending through a wall of said box and being movable between a retracted rest position in which they lie ush with said box wall and an advanced operative position in which they project beyond said box wall, said upper rail being movable in said box horizontally in longitudinal direction of the ski, spring means biasing said upper rail in horizontal direction, a tensioning device adapted to displace said upper rail horizontally against the action of said spring means, said lower rail being movable perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of said upper rail and being provided on its surface opposite said upper rail with a plurality of taps constituting said gripping means, said upper and lower rails having on their sides facing each other a plurality of interengaging protuberances and recesses cooperating upon operation of said tensioning device to displace said lower rail vertically for bringing said Vgripping means from their retracted position in whichV they lie flush with a wall of said box into an advanced position in which they project beyond said box wall.

3. A climbing and braking device as claimed in claim 2, in which saidlower rail carrying said taps is biased by at least one spring in direction towards movement of said taps into their retracted position and in which said taps ittingly extend through openings in said wall of the box. `4. A climbing and braking device as claimed in claim 2 in`which said protuberances on said upper and lower rail are constituted by cams havingV a mounting and a supporting surface each, the mounting surfaces of the rails cooperating in one end position of the device and the supporting surfaces in the other end position of the device.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS `2,248,008 Miesen July l, 1941 2,359,076 Asbury Sept. 26, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 735,464 Germany May l5, 1943 V187,456 Switzerland Feb. l, 1937 

